For people interested in visiting this archipelago nation of 83 islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, Vanuatu presents itself in two quite distinctively different ways. On the one hand Vanuatu has become a very popular destination for predominately Australians and New Zealanders looking for a relaxed beach vacation with perhaps a few adventure tourism elements mixed into it. With several major Australian cities as well as Auckland only a few hours flight time away Vanuatu has gradually developed into a viable option for package tourists

Located at the confluence of the Mekong and Se Don rivers, Pakse derives its name from the Lao for 'mouth of the Se'. Pakse is the capital of the southern province of Champasak,with a population of about 80 thousand making it the third most populous city in Laos. Pakse is growing as a tourist destination as its ideal for visiting Wat Phu, Si Phan Don (four thousand islands), the Bolavan Plateau and Cambodia.

I purchased a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HMS lens to use for low light and nighttime photography. I bought this lens to use without a tripod and to get closer to things as my 50mm was just to long on my cropped body.

The day of the workshop started with meeting Steve and his assistant in Bangkok and then proceeding in their vehicle to the Samut Songkhram boatyard and a few locations along the way for a day of photography. I got close in among the cables pulling the boat laden trolley in order to make good use of the wide angle lens. Steve suggestions urged even closer and with the shipyard workers looking on nervously I got within inches of the tip of the ship in order to get off a few shots.

The extensive Seoul park system ranges throughout the city and includes their national landmarks. These parks are among the cleanest and best maintained parks I’ve seen in the world. My afternoon and evening at the Seoul National Palace was a positive, affordable experience with many photographic opportunities that I would recommend to anyone visiting Korea.